AUGUST 12, 1971 – John Lennon & Yoko Ono donated £1,000 to the union Fighting Fund for the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Scottish Union who were refusing to stop work at the Glasgow site after being made redundant. Lennon sent roses, the check, and a card in support of a rally for the workers, as they were upset with their working conditions at the time, and shipbuilders at Govan, Scotstoun and Linthouse saw a 25% reduction in their numbers over the previous year.
And from all walks of life, the support poured in for the workers, with the likes of former shipyard worker Billy Connolly and politician Tony Benn joining with John Lennon to write to them and donate to the workers’ Fighting Fund.Lennon had found out about their cause when reading the short-lived publication “The Red Mole.” Lennon’s card said, “To The Workers U.C.S., Good Luck! From John + Yoko” and another that proclaimed “Power to the People, With love from John and Yoko.”Thanks to the support the work-in received, Prime Minister Edward Heath eventually relented, announcing an injection of £35 million to the yards and a re-organization of the UCS companies to keep the yards open.
